Breaking Bad - Season 5

This review came out of frustration - so let me just get that out of my system before I go into detail about the DVD. Despite popular belief, this isn't half a season, or season 5.1 or a rip off. This is Season 5. AMC (the shows producers) have referred to this as Season 5 for some time now, and the packaging has stated its season 5 - and containing 8 episodes. There is no excuse for assuming that Breaking Bad concludes with this season, the information has been in the Amazon description for a long time. Price wise, I paid £17 for this - its now dropped to £15. It contains 8 episodes, 5 less than seasons 2-4 and 1 more than season 1. Dexter season 7, just released, contains 12 episodes and cost me £27 on the day of release. So, you actually get more bang for your buck with Breaking Bad. The conclusion to the series is another 8 episodes, and is being referred to as 'The Final 8' If this was just 1 full season, it would be 16 episodes long - personally, I find the pace much better suited to 2 shorter seasons. The impact of the cliffhanger at the end of season 5 is doubled by the year long wait to find out what happens next, and I think that single handedly justifies the split. Sorry about that, back to the DVD. Breaking Bad Season 5 is heavy. Walter White's transformation into the Heisenberg is almost complete. He is more than a drug producer, much more than a drug dealer. He is a drug lord. Season 5 deals with Walter becoming his own man, flexing his own ego. And its all about ego for Walter - its not about the money anymore, he is power hungry. He demands respect, he orchestrates murders from the comfort of his kitchen and starts to dismantle anything that can bring him down. I can't say much more without spoilers. Its a weighty 8 episodes - they are intense, draining and utterly engrossing. Lots happen, some huge chunks of the story are worked out in this season - i'd say the go over more ground in these 8 episodes in all of season 1 and 2. They have a big back story to rely on, and they know fans of the show well enough, to know they don't need reminding who is who - they jump right back into the action. No 'previously on Breaking Bad', no time wasted filling the uninitiated in. A note on the style of the show. Since the show started, the creators have given the look of the show a slight artistic flair, a real filmic quality. But with season 5 they lay it on thick - almost every shot can be savoured and enjoyed. The opening of the final episode maybe highlights this best - a meeting in the desert, that could easily look dull, is shot in wonderful orange light with bright blue skies. Or during the prison scene when its cuts to Walter, stood as a silhouette in his kitchen (very reminiscent of the Godfather) The DVD is packed full of extras - extended scenes and inside looks, but most notably the ever insightful commentary and an additional 8 minutes, that actually does add to the story. For me, I had already seen Breaking Bad before I bought the DVDs, but the extra's and specifically the commentary had me clicking the 'add to basket' button. Breaking Bad have become increasingly generous with the extras, both in how many extra hours you get, but also the content. Vince Gilligan is very insightful when it comes to describing exactly why he did what where, and to be honest its a joy to get the extra insight. Season 5 is no exception - maybe the most interesting set of commentaries yet. With season 5, you get some of the best 8 hours of TV made, until the series is concluded that is - and a cliffhanger which will knock you out.

Breaking bad es sinonimo de calidad, no queda mas que decir, la calidad de los blu rays es de 10 en sonido, video, extras. Una compra obligada para cualquier amante de tv.

Breaking Bad is my favorite show on TV, and I think Season 5 (Part 1) is the best set of episodes yet. The writing on this show is sharp. The first episode, "Live Free or Die", gives us a flash-forward look at where Walt is one his 52nd birthday (its an intriguing scene that sets up where the series is heading). The first few episodes deal with the aftermath of the events of Season 4, and then the show quickly moves into new territory. With his lab destroyed, Walt must find a new place to cook. He must also find new suppliers and new distribution for his product. Walt's solutions to all of these problems are genius, and that's a testament to the genius of the writing staff on the show. I think that two characters in particular really add to the greatness of this season: Mike, who is given more screen time a has a more important role in the story; and Lydia, an interesting new character who is played to perfection. In addition to the writing/acting, the show has really excelled in its camera work. The production uses the vast desert landscapes of New Mexico to their advantage and are able to shoot wider than any other TV show I've seen. The directors and cinematographer Michael Slovis also aren't afraid to put the camera in unique places that give the viewer a very unique perspective. The narrative this season also allows for a number of great montages, many of which feature the aforementioned point-of-view shots as well as some stunning time-lapse photography. In terms of the blu-ray, picture and audio quality is fantastic. There is also an audio commentary for every single episode. Another great addition is "Inside Breaking Bad"; a short 3-5 minute feature for each episode - it's a nice way to recap the events of that given episode, while also hearing from the show's writers/actors. Please Note: This Blu-Ray set includes only the first half (8 episodes) of the Fifth Season... if you want the final episodes, then you'll need to purchase this too: Breaking Bad: The Final Season (+UltraViolet Digital Copy) [Blu-ray ] FAVORITE EPISODES: 5.03 - "Hazard Pay" 5.05 - "Dead Freight" 5.08 - "Gliding Over All"

If you've never seen this, you're really missing out. Strong language, drug & alcohol abuse, and violence from start to finish but beautifully filmed, great drama (and dark humour) and the perfect soundtrack (I'm a fan of 70's hard rock but the 21st century music chosen for specific scenes has opened my ears). Watch on BluRay with 5.1 surround sound turned up and you'll feel like you're in every scene with them. Many, many scenes (especially the cliff-hangers) take your breath away. The extras on most of the discs are great, too, although the sound and pictures of these are 2nd-rate. The menus could have been better, too, but overall, the best drama I've ever seen. Better than The Bridge and The Killing, which are excellent, too. Final tip is that when watching them, on the later discs, you can start to watch the next episode (for a second or two) and then pause it. If you then turn off your BluRay and go to bed, you can pick up there the next day without having to go through all the menus. Don't know if this is a later development and if it's now a standard but I found it very useful. Anyway, just buy the whole series now and watch it over the winter (we're now watching it now for the second time and it's still as good as the first time).

Breaking Bad! Die wohl mit Abstand beste Serie, die ich je erleben durfte. Diese recht dramatische und kontrastierende Hollywoodgeschichte wird von Staffel zu Staffel interessanter und packender. Eine Geschichte, die so nah am bürgerlichen Leben erzählt und dann stets kurioser wird. Tragische Figuren mit einer enormen Charakterentwicklung, denen es Spaß macht zu zu schauen, wie sie und ihre Umwelt sich verändern. Ein Gesellschaftskritisches Konzept des amerikanischen Gesundheitssystems mit der nötigen Priese Spannung. Bryan Cranston und Aaron Paul in der Rolle ihre Lebens. Und das merkt man auch. Eine solch brilliante schauspielerische Darbietung haut mich wirklich vom Hocker. Eine Mischung aus körperlichen und geistigem Zerfall bis hin zum absoluten Machtgefühl. Wir durchleben mit Walter White sämtliche Gefülszustände die ein Mensch mit einer geringen Aussicht auf sein Leben wohl empfinden kann. Und das macht es so real. Existenzielle Fragen, die sich ein Mann stellt, der im Grunde nichts mehr zu verlieren hat. Wie geht er mit seinen verbleibenden Tagen, Wochen oder Jahren um. Was will er noch erreichen und was ist im wichtig. Hollywoodklischees sind hier fehl am Platz. Eine Serie im Kinoformat die durch seine geniale Dramaturgie zu einem Meilenstein wird. Einige Leute sind ja offenbar ganz aufgebracht, da die vorletzte Staffel gesplittet wurde und es nur 8 statt den üblichen 12 - 13 Folgen gibt. Dieses Konzept mag vielleicht treist und in Sachen Kostenfaktor ungerechtfertigt sein, jedoch hat sich diese Serie diese "Treistigkeit" auch verdient. Eine solch erfolgreiche Serie länger am Leben zu erhalten ist ja nicht neues. Desweiteren erhöt sich auf diese Weise der Spannungsmoment, der ein wesentlicher Bestandteil dieser Serie ist. Was wäre Breaking Bad ohne diese brillianten Clifhanger?! Vermutlich nur halb so zerreisent. Vom dramaturgischen Inhalt sind diese acht Folgen der fünften Staffel gut ausgelastet, sodass ich nichts vermisst habe. Die Geschichten wurden in einem zügigen Tempo erzählt und übertreffen sich Folge für Folge. Ein absolutes Muss für eingefleischte Breaking Bad Fans. Am 11. August 2013 kommen dann auch die letzeten Folgen im amerikanischen Fernsehen. Wir müssen uns wohl noch etwas gedulden, wenn wir wissen wollen, wie der Kampf innerhalb seiner Familie weitergeht.